A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka and India, united in recognition of Buddhism’s fundamental values

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday morning opened the International Buddhist Conference to commemorate together with India, the 2.600th "Sambuddhtva Jayanthi", the anniversary of Buddha's enlightenment.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, religion, cultural understanding, sri lanka, buddhism

The greening of Havana

The concert, which also featured a performance of traditional and original music from pianist Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, was the opening night of Havana’s Journados Culturales con Irlanda, a week of Irish culture which brought a touch of green to the Cuban capital earlier this month.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, cuba, ireland

Turkey, the EU and the Mediterranean uprisings

The revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have brought home to many people that Turkey has become a force to be reckoned with in this region. Turkey enjoys lots of credibility in the Arab world. It has burgeoning trade ties and solid political relations with many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries.

Tags: middle east, public opinion, europe, turkey, crisis coverage, european union, arab world, eu enlargement

Public Diplomacy in Uniform

The necessity to fight a ‘war of ideas’ against extremism and to ‘win hearts and minds’ has led to an increasing need for the Pentagon to be involved in supporting public diplomacy efforts.

Tags: public opinion, us department of state, smart power, pentagon

China: Rebranding 101

A few weeks ago, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released an informative report on the disparities between Chinese and American public diplomacy activities today. Most importantly, the report, commissioned by Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), the Ranking Member of the Committee, gave a clear and concise look at China's current rebranding strategies.

Tags: china, nation branding, public opinion, lugar report

With Libya Fight, U.S. Africa Command Thrust Into a Leadership Role

When the United States Africa Command was created four years ago, it was the military’s first “smart power” command. It has no assigned troops, no headquarters in Africa itself, and one of its two top deputies is a seasoned American diplomat.

Tags: united states, middle east, africa, crisis coverage, libya, smart power, africom

Arab Voices and Views (video)

Growing aspirations of youth in MENA regarding economic opportunities and political rights very quickly raised the bar for what governments need to do. To shed light on the implications of these changes and opportunities in the region and its inclusion in a global economy, the World Bank will host a discussion titled Arab Voices and Views...

Tags: middle east, public opinion, social media, new technology, crisis coverage, arab world, arab, arab revolutions, world bank

BBC World Service to sign funding deal with US state department

The BBC World Service is to receive a "significant" sum of money from the US government to help combat the blocking of TV and internet services in countries including Iran and China.

Tags: united states, media, international broadcasting, united kingdom, us department of state, bbc

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